Draft and buffing rigging for railway-cars.



No. 761,158. PATENTE'D MAY 31, 1904.

R. 1).- GALLAGHER, J1. DRAFT AND BUFPING RIGGING FOR RAILWAY (JARS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 25, 1902.

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' WITNESSES 0 PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

R. D. GALLAGHER, Jn. DRAFT AND BUFFING RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 25- 1902 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

No. 761,158. PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

' R. D. GALLAGHER, JR.

DRAFT AND BUFPING RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1902. H0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES-R Q A A [NVENTOR .d gz twy, I fiwmww a v.

UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER, JR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPO- RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DRAFT AND BUFFING RIGGING FOR RAILWAY-CARS- .SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,158, dated May 31, 1904.

Application filed November 25,1902. Serial No. 132,788. (No model.)

Jr., of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft and Buifing Rigging for Railway-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in draft and buffing rigging for railway-cars, although, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the mechanical arts, features of the invention may be applied in any structure de signed for the purpose of yieldingly resisting the relative movement of parts.

The object of the invention is to produce a cheap, easily-constructed, and easily-repaired structure in which the resiliency of the resilient elements shall be so modified by friction that the resistance to compressive strains shall be greatly augmented and the recoil reduced to a minimum.

The invention consists in the employment of a resilient element or elements having extended friction-faces with a member of fixed dimension having an inclined or wedging face for putting the resilient element or elements under elastic stress and creating friction to augment resistance and reduce recoil.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a half-section and elevation of a structure embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on the line 3 3. Figs. 4 and 5 are views corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing different arrangements of the resilient friction elements.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In the said drawings the letter A indicates a pair of heads or followers which in a draftrigging are adapted to cooperate with suitable stops or shoulders, such as indicated diagrammatically at B, to transmit the pressure from the rigging to the framing of the car, or vice versa. Pressure is transmitted from the coupler through the usual draw-bar (indicated by C) or the tail-strap connected therewith and indicated by D. These latter parts are of usual construction and may be varied in accordance with well-known practice.

The resilient friction elements are arranged between the heads or followers, such elements usually and preferably being in the form of flat springs wound about a common axis and nested or superposed one about the other, as at E in Figs. 1 and 3, or in the form of a flat spiral, as indicated at F in Figs. 1 and 2. In both instances the'convolutions of the resilient friction elements are preferably smaller at one end than at the other, forming a frustoconical body the surfaces of the parts of which are in contact and adapted to slide one upon the other. The resilient friction elements are put under elastic stress transversely of the line of pressure to be resisted, and which corresponds-in the illustration to the axis of the heads by corresponding frusto-conically-shaped bodies, preferably of fixed dimension and into or over which the said resilient friction elements are forced by the draft and buffing pressure. In Fig. 1 a casting G is employed having frusto-conically shaped or inclined walls G on the inner side at each end, forming chambers into which the friction elements are driven by contact with the heads or followers. The inclination of the walls G may be such that the resiliency of the elements will return the same to its normal position when the compressive strain is reduced; but in order to insure a prompt return, particularly when the inclination approaches the angle of repose, a central spring H, operating in a direction to separate the heads, is employed. To insure the return of the resilient friction elements simultaneously with the heads, secondary heads or flanges A are located at the smaller 'ends of said elements and connected with the heads A or form pockets for the spring H and are adapted to be moved outwardly thereby. Such construction results in the friction elements being inclosed in annular chambers formed by the heads and easing, the walls of the chambers serving to put the elements under stress and also to return said elements to position. The secondary heads A also preferably engage shoulders g on the casing to restore the same to its central position, and when a series of nested or superposed friction elements are employed the splits or lines of division of adjacent elements are'preferably oppositely disposed, as will be understood from an inspection of Fig. 3.

Obviously the friction elements may be combined in series to secure a wider range of movement or used singly, and in Figs. 4 and 5 arrangements are shown somewhat different from that of Fig. 1 to illustrate some of the obvious modifications in the arrangement of the parts. In Fig. 4 the friction elements themselves (indicated by E* and F) correspond in construction to the elements E and F of Fig. 1; but they are arranged in tandem. One of the heads or followers A in this instance is provided with or controls two chambers I I, having inclined or frusto-conical inner walls 4 it" for contracting the friction elements when thrust into the same by the approach of the heads, To separate the friction elements, an annulus K may be interposed, whereby pressure is applied to one through the other, and the annulus is held against excessive reverse movement by engagement with a shoulder formed by the chamber 1. The secondary head a in this instance returns both elements to normal. The chambers I and I form a casing, and it will be noted that in this form of the device, as well as the form of device shown in Fig. 1, the casing constitutes a stop forlimiting the movement of the heads toward each other, and thus limits the movement imparted to the resilient friction elements, and consequently prevents stress of the same beyond the elastic limit of the metal.

With both the forms so far described the resilient friction elements have been put under elastic stress by reduction in their diameters or contraction, but it is obvious that by placing the inclines within instead of outside of the elements they may be operated to increase their diameters or by expansion. It is deemed necessary for a complete understanding to illustrate but one form of apparatus with this reversal. The form adapted for illustration is one wherein a series of resilient friction elements are arranged in tandem, but acting simultaneously to give a wide range of movement. The heads in this instance, Fig. 5, are indicated by the letter A and the resilient friction elements by the letter F, said elements being of the form heretofore described; but instead of being contracted by pressure on the heads they are expanded by frusto-conical inclines M, into which the said elements are pushed by the movement ofthe heads toward each other. In the illustration four inclines and sets of elements are shown arranged in pairs, and the inclines of each pair float or are supported between the elements, said inclines being provided with a centering flange or annulus M, against which the adjacent edges of the elements abut. The pairs of elements are separated by a central ring N, having flanges N, which, together with the flanges N on the heads or followers A form a partial casing for inclosing the elements. A central spring His preferably used in every instance to augment the resistance of the re silient friction elements, as well as to insure a prompt return of the parts after being put under stress, and in order to hold the parts in position and connect the structure up as an entity the heads are connected by a central bolt 0, the ends of which are located in recesses or pockets in the heads or followers to avoid interference with the draw-bar, tailstrap, or other parts which transmit pressure to the device.

For a draft and buffing rigging the structure may be substituted for the usual draft and bufiing springs and held between the same stops or between stops especially prepared for it, and in operation pressure applied at either end will cause the heads to approach, thereby putting resilient friction elements under elastic stress, and in this movement the extended surfaces slide upon each other and upon the inclines, creating a frictional resistance, which will greatly augment the normal elastic resistance of said elements.- The frictional resistance to the movement of the parts practically eliminates injurious recoil, for by properly proportioning the parts both as to strength and inclination of the inclines with respect to the line of pressure to be resisted the elasticity of the friction elements may be made only sufficient to return the parts to normal or even insufficient for this purpose, the central spring being relied upon for effecting the release of the elements and return of the parts to normal.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with an elastic friction element of frusto-conical form, of a frusto-conical part of fixed dimension with which it cooperates and whereby it is put under elastic stress when they are forced toward each other; substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with a frusto-conical body of fixed dimension, of an elastic friction element formed of superposed contacting layers extending around said frusto-conical body and adapted to be put under elastic stress by the longitudinal movement of said body with relation thereto and whereby the said layers are caused to slide one upon the other to create frictional resistance; substantially as described.

'3. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with a frusto-conical body, of fixed dimension, of a frusto-conical elastic friction element formed of superposed contacting layers extending around said frustoconical body and adapted to be put under elastic stress by the longitudinal movement of said body with relation thereto and whereby the said layers are caused to slide one upon the other to create frictional resistance; substantially as described.

4:. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, a resilient friction element composed of a series of independent layers nested one within the other and means for putting the layers of said element under elastic stress in the same direction and in a plane transverse of the line of pressure to be resisted and whereby frictional resistance to such movement is created between the layers; substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, a resilient friction element composed of a series of independent resilient layers nested one within the other and a body having inclined walls of fixed dimension and movable longitudinally with relation thereto whereby said layers are put under elasticstress in a transverse plane and friction is created between the layers; substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, a resilient friction element composed of a series of independent resilient frusto-conical layers nested one within the other and a body having frusto-conical walls of fixed dimension and movable longitudinally with relation thereto, whereby said layers are put under elastic stress in a transverse plane and friction is created between the layers; substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, a resilient friction element composed of a series of independent split rings, nested one within the other, with the splits out of registry and a body having frusto-conical walls of fixed dimension and movable-longitudinally with relation thereto whereby said layers are put under elastic stress in a transverse plane and friction is created between the layers; substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, a resilient friction element composed of a series of independent frusto-conical split rings, nested one within the other, with the splits out of registry and a body having frustoconical walls of fixed dimension and movable longitudinally with relation thereto, whereby said layers are put under elastic stress in a transverse plane and friction is created between the layers; substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus for the purpose specifled, the combination with the oppositely-disposed heads, of a resilient friction elemenl movable bodily with one of said heads and composed of superposed layers nested one within the other in frictional contact and means for putting said layers under elastic stress in the same direction transversely by the relative movement of the heads toward each other; substantially as described.

10. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with the oppositely-disposed heads, of a resilient friction element movable bodily with one of said heads and composed of superposed layers in frictional contact and a body having frusto-conical walls of fixed dimension cooperating with said element to put the layers under elastic stress transversely when the heads are moved toward each other; substantially as described.

11. In an apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination with the oppositely-disposed heads and a spring for separating said heads, of aresilient friction element composed of superposed layers in frictional contact and a body having inclined walls, said element and body being interposed between the heads and moved relatively to each other by the approach of the heads whereby the layers of the element are put under elastic stress trans versely; substantially as described.

12. In an apparatus for the purpose specified,the combination with the heads and spring for separating the same, of the frusto-conical elastic friction element composed of superposed layers nested one within the other and a body having frusto-conical walls, said element and body being interposed between the heads and moved longitudinally with relation to each other by the approach of the heads, whereby the layers of the element are put under elastic stress transversely and friction created between the same; substantially as described.

I 13. In an apparatus for the purpose specitied, the combination with the head, a spring for returning the same to normal a secondary head and a body having an inclined wall which with said heads forms a chamber, of a resilient friction element located in said chamber and movable bodily with the heads in relation to said inclined wall, whereby said element is put under elastic stress transversely of the line of movement of the head; substantially as described.

1 1. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination with the oppositely-disposed heads and intermediate member having oppositely-arranged frusto-conical walls of fixed dimensions of the resilient friction elements formed of superposed layers interposed I fied, the combination with the oppositely-disposed heads and intermediate member having oppositely-arranged frusto-eonical Walls of the frusto-conical Walls when the heads are moved toward each other; substantially as de- IO scribed.

RICHARD D. GALLAGHER, J R.

Witnesses:

J. S. TURNER, ALEXANDER H. CooKn. 

